Wireworking machine



1954 J. c. LARSEN WIRE WORKING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 2, 1952 I N V EN TOR. fox oh (/afiewce lame/7 BY h w liluhii HTTOENEY United States PatentG 2,694,419 WIREWORKING MACHINE Joseph Clarence Larsen, Boulder, Colo., assignor to Gates and Sons Inc., Denver, Colo., a corporation of Colorado Application June 2, 1952, Serial No. 291,204 9 Claims. (Cl. 140149) This invention relates to improvements in wire working machines and has reference more particularly to a machine for performing the final steps in the manufacture of concrete form ties of the general type illustrated and described in U. S. Patent 1,692,166 and more specifically to the tie shown in Figures 3 and 6 of said patent.

Ties to the manufacture of which this invention relates, are of exceptional merit but have been difficult to manufacture for want of suitable machinery.

In application Serial Number 279,073 filed March 28, 1952 a method of making ties of the type for which this machine is employed, has been described, illustrated and claimed. The last step in the method is the step of twisting which is performed by the machine that forms the subject of this application.

It is the object of this invention to produce a machine for the purpose above indicated, that shall be of simple and substantial construction and which shall be adapted for mass production.

In order to describe the invention so that it can be readily understood reference will be had to the accompanying drawing in which it has been illustrated and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of the machine, showing the parts to which this invention relates;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the machine shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top plan view, looking downwardly in Figure 4, and shows the parts of the machine to which this invention relates to an enlarged scale, certain parts being shown in section to better disclose the construction:

Figure 4 is a side elevation, looking upwardly in Figure 3, one part being shown in section taken on line 4, Figure 5;

Figure 5 is a section taken on line 5-5, Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an end elevation looking through plane 6-6, Figures 1 and 4;

Figure 7 is a section taken on line 7-7, Figure 4;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary side elevation showing one of the parts that is shown in Figure 1, in another position;

Figure 9 is a view somewhat similar to that shown in Figure 2 but to an enlarged scale to more clearly disclose the structure and the relation of the parts, and

Figure 10 is a side elevational view of the completed form tie.

Referring now to the drawing reference numerals designate the side frame members of the machine and 16 the supporting legs while 17 designates a bearing in which shaft 18 is journaled. Shaft 18 carries sprocket wheel 19 which is turned by power transmitted by sprocket chain 20. Bearing 17 and shaft 18 resemble the headstock of a lathe and may be so designated in subsequent portions of this description. Mounted for longitudinal adjustment along the bed formed by frame member 15 is a tailstock 21 having a base 22 and two upwardly projecting spaced plates 23. The tailstock is attached to the bed by bolts 24. An anchor block 25 which will be referred to hereafter as the tail anchor block, forms part of the tailstock and has a downwardly extending tongue 26 that is positioned between plates 23 to which it is rockably connected by pivot 27. A roller 28 is mounted for free rotation between the spaced lugs 29 that project downwardly from the inner end of the anchor block.

A lever 30 has its lower end attached to the base by a pivot 31 which extends through the upwardly extending lug 32. The pivoted end of lever 30 has a cam surface 33 on which roller 28 rests in the manner shown 8 2,694,419 Patented Nov. 16, 1954 in Figures 6 and 8. When lever 30 is in the full line position (Fig. 6) the anchor block is in the position shown in Figures 1 and 4 but when the lever is moved to the broken line position (Fig. 6) the anchor block tilts to the position shown in Figure 8.

The tail anchor block is forged or cast as a unitary part whose otherwise substantially flat upper surface has a'recess 34. Extending upwardly from the anchor block on the sides of recess 34, are walls 35 and 36. Walls 35 and 36 have holes 37 through which the curved finger 38 extends when lever 30 is in the full line position shown in Figure 6.

The anchor block has other holes 39 in the opposite recess walls and the curved finger 49 extends through these holes when lever 30 is in full line position, all as shown in Figure 6.

Referring now to the headstock assembly and in particular to Figures 1 to 5, it will be seen that there is attached to the inner end of shaft 18, as by welding, an anchor block 41 that for convenience will be referred to as the head anchor block.. Block 41 resembles the tail anchor block 25 in a geenral way and has its upper surface, which lies in a plane that contains the axis of shaft 18, provided with a recess 42. Walls 43 and 44 project upwardly from opposite sides of the recess. Walls 43 and 44 have opposed holes 45 and the side walls of the recess have opposed openings 46. Extending outwardly from the under side (Figs. 1, 4 and 5) are spaced lugs 47 that have aligned perforations for the reception of pivot pin 48. A latch lever 49, of a shape substantially as shown in Figure 5, is rockably pivoted on pin 48 and has two arcuate fingers 50 and 51 that are curved about the center of pin 48. Finger 50 is positioned to extend through holes 45 and finger 51 is positioned to engage in holes 46.

The part 52 of lever 49 is a counterweight whose function will appear as the description proceeds. Attention is called to the cam surface 53 and to the spring pressed plunger 54 that project from the cylindrical housings 55 and which serve to yieldably hold lever 49 in the inoperative position shown in Figure 5 and also in the operative position shown in Figure 9 in which latter position the lever is when the parts rotate. During rotation the centrifugal force exerted by the counterweight 52 serves to hold lever 49 in operative position and cooperates with plunger 54 to this end. Tail anchor block 25 and head anchor block 41 are each provided with short posts 56 that serve as anchors for the preformed tie unit which is to be twisted from the shape shown in Figures 3 and 9 to the finished shape shown in Figure 10.

Briefly described the preformed tie unit consists of a single length of wire bent in such a way that it has a straight portion 57 which is reversely bent forming bights 58 and 59. From the bights the wire extends in straight portions 58a and 59a which cross as shown in Figures 3 and 9 and which terminate in hooks 60.

The preformed tie unit is positioned on the anchor blocks with the bights encircling the anchor posts and the hooks positioned in recesses 34 and 42. Before applying the tie unit to the anchor blocks lever 30 is moved to the dotted line position shown in Figure 6 whereupon tail anchor block 25 assumes the position shown in Figure 8 thus shortening the distance between posts 56. In a like manner lever 49 is moved to the position shown in Figure 5. After the tie unit has been positioned with the posts 56 in the bight lever 30 is moved to the full line position shown in Figure 6 whereupon the tail anchor block moves to the position shown in Figures 1 and 4. Finger 38 now extends over the wire tie and prevents it from slipping from the anchor post 56 and finger 40 projects through the hook all as shown most clearly in Figures 3 and 4.

Lever 49 is now moved in a clockwise direction from the position shown in Figure 5 to that shown in Figures 1 and 3 whereupon finger 50 extends over the tie unit and finger 51 extends through the hook. Plunger 54 now engages cam notch 53 and the counterweight is moved farther outwardly, all as will be obvious from an inspection of Figure 5.

twisting torque is removed. Inthefinished tiethe bights 1 of the tie must lie in thesame-plane or approxrmatelyao;

The machine is provided with a driving mechanism corn" prising a clutch that will automatically release after'the head anchor block has rotatedthepredetermined:number of degrees; this has not beenillustrated-as it involves anindependent invention, which cannot be claimedherein. Attention is directed-to Flgures 4, 6 and 8 which show how the movement of lever rocks the-tail'anch'or block about pivot 27 tofacilitate the application of the preformed tie unit and the removal of the twisted-unit there-' from.

It will be observed that boththe head and-the tail anchor blocks are similar-to each other. Each block has a depression for the reception of the hook, a post for engagement in the bight andmeans for holding the unit in position during thetwisting operation.

It is evident that the exact construction shown and described can be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention and such changes may be made as fall within the scope of the appended claims.-

Having described the invention what is claimed as new is:

l. A machine for twistingpreformed concrete'form ties of the type made from a single piece of wire having its ends bent into hooks, and folded about points that divide the wire into three substantiallyequal parts with bights at their points of juncture, the bights lying. in the same plane, the hooks being positioned in the bights; said machine comprising, a base, a head anchor block supported on the base for rotation, a tail anchor block supported on the base in spaced relation to the head anchor block, both anchor blocks having each a flat surface whose planeis parallel to the axis of rotation of the head anchor block and closely adjacent thereto, the flat surfaces of each anchor-block having a cavity near the end facing each other for the reception of the hooked ends of the tie, each' anchor block having an anchor post projecting upwardly from its flat surface, the posts being so positioned that both cavities are positioned between them, the posts serving to receive the bights at the ends of the tie unit to be twisted, means 1 associated with each anchor block for holding. the corresponding end of the tie unit during the twisting operation, said means comprising a lever pivotally connected' with each anchor block, each lever having two arcuate fingets one of which extends across the cavity and engages in the hook and the other extending across the bight when the levers are in operative position, and means for rotating the head anchor block.

2. A wire form tie twisting machine in accordance with claim 1 in which the tail anchor block is mounted to rock about a pivot whose axis is substantially perpendicular to the axis about which the head anchor block turns and which is positioned on thefar side of the anchor post and below the plane of the upper surface of the block, whereby the distance between the two anchor posts may be changed byrocking the anchor block aboutthe axis of said pivot, to facilitate the application of the wire tie Lunit to-and for removing it from the anchor posts, and means comprising a lever having a cam surface for rockingthe block.

3. A wire form tie twisting machine in accordance with claim 2 in which the lever associatedwith the tail anchor block is mounted for rocking movement about apivot positioned belowthe free end of said anchor block,

said lever having a cam surface in operativeengagement with the under surface of said anchor block forming means for rocking said anchor block about its-pivot to raise its free end as the fingers are moved into tie-engaging position.

4. A device in accordance with claim'3 in which springpressed latching means is provtded on the headanchor block in operative position relative to the lever for exerting a force thereon tending to hold it in either of the'operative or the. inoperative position.

5. A machine for use in twisting-apreformedwire'unit made from a single piece of wire bent at points about one third of its length from the ends was to have three substantially parallel sections joined bybights, the-ends being.

formed into hooks, comprising a base, a non-rotatable tail anchor block attached to the baseya rotatable head anchor" block attached to the :base-inaxial alignment withand spaced from the tail anchor block, each of saidanchor blocks having a substantially planar surface positioned parallel 'to and closelyadjacent'theaxi's ofrotatiomof'the head anchor block, each anchor block having its flat surface provided with a cavity adapted to receive a hooked end of a concrete form tie, each anchor block having an anchor post positioned beyond the cavity, adapted to be inserted into a bight of a concrete form tie to be twisted, means operativelyattached to each anchor block for relative pivotal movementfrom'an inoperative position to an operative position, in which a portion thereof extends across the cavity and another portion extends across the planar surface at a point between the cavity and the anchor post, forh'olding an end of a concrete form tie in position during the tie twisting operation.

6: A machine for'twistingthe central portions of'partially preformed concrete form'ties ofthe type made from asingle piece of wire having its ends formed 'into'hooks, and folded about points that'divide the wire into three substantially equal parts with bights at'their points'of juncture, the bights lying in the same plane the hooks be-' ing positioned in the bights, comprising, a base, a tail anchor block attached to the base, a head anchor block attached to the base and spaced from the tail anchor block; the head anchor block being mounted for rotation, each of the anchor blocks comprising a body having a substantially' planar surface parallel with and adjacent to the axis of rotation of the headanchor block, said bodies having their planar sides provided with cavities for the re-- ception of the hooks on the ends of the-partially preformed ties, each of said bodies having an anchor post positioned beyond the cavity forinsertion into the bights of the partially preformed ties and operatively associated with each of said bodies, means for holding the tie in position on said bodies While the head anchor block rotates; consisting of a lever pivotally attached to the bodywith which it cooperates and which is provided with two arcuate fingers positioned at different radial distances from the axis ofpivotation, the fingers having the shorter radius being. positioned to pass across-the hook receiving'cavity at'a point below theplanar surface, the other finger being positioned to pass across the planar surface between the anchor post and the cavity.

7. A device in accordance'with claim 6 in which the leverhas a cam surface and means comprising a cam surface on the lever and a cam follower urged against the cam surface by a yielding pressure for holding the lever in either operative or inoperative position.

8. A device in accordance with claim -7 in which the lever is provided with a counterweight to balance the torque producing centrifugal force during rotation of the' head anchor block.

9. A machine for use in twisting, a preformed wire unit made from a single piece of wire bent at points about one third of its length from the ends so as to have three substantially parallel sections joined by curved bights, the ends being formed into hooks, comprising a base, a non-rotatable tail anchor block attached to the base, a to tatable head anchorblock attached to the base in axial alignment with and spaced from the tail anchor block, each of said anchor blocks having asubstantially planan surface positioned parallel to and 'closely adjacent the axis of rotation of the head anchor block, each anchor block' having its fiat surface provided with a cavity adapted to receive a hooked end of a concrete form tie, eachanchor block having an anchor post positioned beyond the cavity, adapted to be inserted into abight of a concrete form tie to be twisted, means operatively attached to each anchor block for relative pivotal movement from an inoperative position to an operative position, in which a portion thereof'extends across the cavity' and another portion extends across the planar surface at a point between the cavity and the anchor post, for holding an end ofa concrete form tie in position during the tie twisting operation, and means operatively connected with the base -and the tail anchor block to change the distance between the anchor posts.

Number Name Date' 295,799 Patton Mar. 25, 1884 795,832' Heyde Aug. 1, 1905 1,174,128 Davitt Mar. 7, 1916' 1,186,781 Henry -June'13; 1916 

